Cheers Stevo!

I'm going to miss Steve Irwin a hell of a lot. No, I never had the privelidge of meeting him or knowing him personally but I loved that guy.

Since I was really small, I've always had some bizarre fascination with snakes and reptiles, fuelled by the interest and knowledge of my Grampy. Therefore, whenever Steve Irwin has been on TV I have found my self incredibly enthused, interested and entertained by his work. I loved his personality and passion for his cause. Whilst most people will recognise him as an unorthodox and eccentric television personality, I have been fortunate enough to visit his zoo in Australia and witness how much work he does to try and preserve various animals and that the whole purpose behind his 'entertainment' shows is to educate people and make them aware of their environment.

Don't get me wrong, I am by no means someone who will chain themselves to trees, buy a Toyota Prius or refuse to eat meat. But I have a huge amount of respect for what Steve Irwin achieved in that I could never understand or condone poachers/hunters who I may not have been aware of without watching his shows.

What's more, Steve Irwin always involved his family with his work. I feel I 'know' his wife Terri and children Bindy and Bob as well as I 'know' him. Which makes today's horrible news a thousand times worse. They have my deepest sympathies and I hope they will find comfort from the millions of people who am doing what I am doing right now, publicising my appreciation for one of my heroes in how he improved my life despite living on the other side of the world.

Steve Irwin made me interested in learning about nature and put a smile on my face every time I saw him. He also showed everyone to be themselves, stamp their own personality on the world and to live life doing the things you love. I wish his friends and family all the best. Steve Irwin, you are a legend, thank you for being you.